Game sense is an approach to teaching games developed by Dr Joy Butler and Rod Thorpe that focuses on demonstrating fundamental skills within the context of playing games, rather than separate skills practice. It emphasizes tactical decision making and problem solving within games (Teaching Games for Understanding or TGFU). TGFU has four principles: sampling different games within a category, representing games in condensed versions, exaggerating tactical elements, and matching games to players' tactical abilities. It aims to engage students in understanding games through active participation rather than direct instruction. Game sense aligns with the NSW Personal Development Health and Physical Education syllabus in teaching movement skills and concepts through game play.

1. GAME SENSE
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2. What is game sense ?
Dr Joy Butler from Plymouth, New Hampshire and Rod Thorpe a lecturer at University of Queensland
created a model for teaching games at primary and secondary schools. The game model is centred
around teachers demonstrating fundamental skills to students during sport. Furthermore, it also focuses
on how the focus on fundamental skills improves techniques for students who were not good game
players (Light, 2013). This is called Teaching Games for Understanding, where students are participating
in games-based approaches.

3. Teaching Games for Understanding
Teaching games for understanding (TGFU) allows teachers to focus on the game as a whole, rather
than breaking it up into fundamental skills or techniques. For instance, to teach a game of basketball,
the students are understanding the concept and rules of basketball, such as dribbling and travel ball,
throughout the entire activity. Furthermore, students develop tactical knowledge and decision-
making during the game. TGFU allows teachers and students to reflect on the activities during the
game, where they can modify the skills, needs or experiences to make the game engaging. The
students can reflect individually or in groups. There are four game categories which has a core
element of TFGU these are; invasion games, striking games, net/wall games and target games.

4. Four pedagogical principles
Teaching games for understanding has four pedagogical principles which underpin its model.
According to Light, they are sampling, representation, exaggeration and tactical complexity
(2013).
Sampling: Providing opportunities for students to experience different games within a game
category that transfers from one game to another. For example, one term devoted to invasion
games, students can play soccer, but have samplings of touch football or basketball (Light,
2013).

5. Four Pedagogical Principles
Representation: A manipulation of an existing game where into a condensed version with similar tactical
requirements. Teachers do not have rely on the traditional game, as the existing game represents other
forms of games (Light, 2013).
Exaggeration: Making changes to a game to emphasize specific tactical problems. For instance,
incorporating more defenders in a football game to encourage scoring (Light, 2013).
Tactical complexity: Matching players with the same capacity to play in terms of tactical demands.
Eventually, they will be able to understand the concept of the game and provide problem-solving during
the game.

6. Fundamental Movement Skills
New South Wales Government Education and Communities, developed fundamental movement skills in
action to support teachers in explicit teaching of 12 fundamental skills. Furthermore, teachers are
provided with 12 cards for each of the fundamental movement skill, they include a card for warming up,
ideas how to teach the skill components, activities to practice the skills, a list of equipment needed and
images of a student performing the skills (NSW Education and Communities, 2012). Fundamental
movement skills includes: skip, static balance, sprint run, vertical jump, catch, hop, side gallop, dodge,
overarm throw, leap, kick and two-hand strike.

7. Images of Fundamental Movement Skill

8. Physical Education
Game sense has had an extraordinary impact on teaching and students since the introduction 30
years ago. Game sense allows students to understand the concept of playing the game during the
game, rather than reading about the rules beforehand. According to Richard Light, he suggests that
real learning occurs through engagement rather than direct instruction (2013). This is why game
sense has become successful, as students are engaged throughout the lesson and want to discover
what is going to happen next in the activity.

9. Links to the syllabus
Game sense relates to the strand movement, skill and performing in the NSW Personal Development Health
and Physical Education. The strand focuses on active participation in a broad range of movements to
develop skill and enhance performance (NESA, 2018). Students also develop an understanding of
movement concepts and the features of movement composition, which relates to TGFU as students are
learning the whole concept of the game and different movements needed. It also relates to the preposition
– value movement. Students develop an understanding of how and why we move and how we can improve
physical performance (NESA, 2018).

10. References
Light, R. (2013). Game Sense: Pedagogy for performance, participation and enjoyment. Routledge,
Taylor and Francis Group.
NSW Education Standards Authority. (2018). Personal Development Health and Physical
Education. NSW Government.
NSW Department of Education and Communities and NSW Health. (2012). Fundamental
Movement Skills in Action. NSW Government.